Photographic-background holder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetl G. 0. JOHNSON. PHOTOGRAPHIO BACKGROUNDHOLDER.

N b-5.51731 9. Patented M3521, 18 94.

m) w Liana a 1 r m lw l l lu ul mvvuh llvvdr a "M g (No Model.) 1 v 2"SheetsSheet 2.

'0. 0. JOHNSON! v PHOTOGRAPHIG BACKGROUND HOLDER. 1 110. 517,119.Patented Mar. 27, 1894.-

a ll 0 I o I II ml NAM LIIMOGRAMNG ocimuwv.

wunmemn. 1:v a.

CHARLEY O. JOHNSON, OF SIOUX CITY, IOVAQ PHOTOGRAPHlC-BACKG ROUNDHOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,119, dated. March27, 1894,

Application filed October 9, 1893. Serial No. 4871676. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GHARLEY O. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sioux City, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotographic-Background Holders; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in holdersfor 'photographic backgrounds and more especially to that class 'inwhich the background is carried over rollers or the like and havingmeans for changing the background at will, the device as a whole beingportable so as to be readily moved about from one place to another.

The present invention has for its objects among others to provide asimple and cheap construction, which shall be durable, not liable to getout of order, and in which a great variety of backgrounds can be carriedand any desired one of them quickly brought into position. I provide asuitable frame-work or support in which are mounted shafts carryingsprocket wheels over which pass sprocket chains of peculiarconstruction, and independent means are provided for revolving therequired rod as it is brought into the proper position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter morefully described and the novel features thereof will be specificallydefined by the appended claim.

The invention in this instance, resides in the peculiar combinations andthe construction, arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fullyhereinafter described, shown in the drawings and thenparticularlypointed out in the claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im-=proved background holder. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig.3 is a detail of the means for revolving the rollers when desired.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews in which they appear.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates twouprights provided with a suitable base A. and connected by cross piecesA and suitably braced if necessary as by the braces a. These uprightsmay be of any desired material and of any required height and they maybe held at any required distance apart to give the proper width to thebackground. This is an immaterial element. The frame may be made asornamental as may be desired.

B is ashaft mounted in the uprights at the proper distance from thelower ends thereof and it has one end extended through an upright andformed into a crank handle B by which the shaft may be revolved. Fast onthis shaft near each end is a sprocket wheel 0 and on shafts D and Dmounted at the upper ends of the uprights are the sprocket wheels D andD E are chains the links of which are pivoted together and each link hasupon its rear or 4 inner face a hole e to receive a tooth or projectionof the sprocket wheels over which the chains pass. the shafts inside theuprights.

F are rollers near the upper ends of the uprights and behind which thechains are caused to pass so as to hold the chains back so that the rodsbelow are not in the way of the one to be revolved and the backgroundthat is unrolled will not interfere with the others or become entangledtherewith. Each link has a transverse socket or opening in which isrotatably held the end of a rod G, there being more or less thereof asmay be desired, and the ends of the rods held in the said sockets in anysuitable manner. These rods may be of any desired size, or they may behollow rollers within which the background may be wound 5 if rods areused the backgrounds will be wound upon the same. Each rod carries abackground. Each roller has one end extended beyond the chain and thisend receives a suitable key to preventdisplacementthereof.

There is a chain at each end of The end is preferably squared to receivea key on the end of a short axle or shaft which will soon be described.

H is a short shaft or axle suitably mounted in brackets at the upper endof one of the uprights as shown and this shaft or axle is designed to bemoved endwise in its bearings and at its inner end is formed with apolygonal opening it to engage the correspondingly shaped end of therod. This short shaft also carriesa pulley I over which passes a belt Jwhich passes over a pulley J suitably journaled on the same upright nearthe lower end thereof as shown in Fig. 1 and the axle of which isextended and terminates in a crank j by which the same may be turnedwhen desired.

L is a rod orleverhaving a portion engaged between collars on the shortshaft as seen best in Fig. 3 for giving the necessary endwise mqyementto the short shaft.

M designates one of the backgrounds; it is preferably provided upon itsunder side at the edges with the vertically disposed strips M as shownand are for the purpose of preventing wrinkling of the background at thecenter.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forththe operation is as fo1lows:--The crank handle B is turned until the rodcarrying the required background is brought opposite the short shaft IIwhen the lever or rod L is moved so as to engage its inner end with theend of the rod and then the crank j is turned to revolve the rod andunroll the background. After the background has been used it is rolledup by a reverse movement of the crank handle and then the rod or lever Lis moved so as to disengage the short shaft from the square end of theroller when the chains may be turned in either direction to bring thedesired roller with its background into position. Then the short shaftis engaged with the end of the roller the chains cannot be moved.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What I claim as new is- The combination with the uprights, the shaftswith their sprocket wheels, and the chains and rods, of the endwisemovable shaft, means for actuating the same and means for revolving saidshaft and the rods, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLEY O. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J. G. MAURER, E. G. MOGLEMONT.

